I really enjoy Kevin DeYoung’s blog over at the Gospel Coalition called DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed. I usually agree with him theologically on most points. I even subscribe to his blog via email. However, he recently published a post entitled Are Christians in America Persecuted?He basically said that it happens all of the time but persecution happens to Christians in America “not as frequently, consistently, or with nearly the intensity that Christians are persecuted in many other parts of the world.”

While I agree with the last statement, I do not agree with his assessment that it happens all of the time. I also do not agree with his reasons for making that statement. I really appreciate the fact that he brings in the Bible but I believe that his exegesis is fallacious. He equates the biblical word for persecution with “harassing someone because of beliefs.” He points out that Old Testament prophets were reviled and spoken against and Jesus calls this persecution in Matthew. The problems is that reviling and being spoken against is not equivalent to harassing someone. Harassing in our modern English is very subjective. You can consider someone calling you a “Right Wing Bible Thumping Radical” harassment or even being reviled. But this is not being persecuted. You don’t have to be killed or be tortured to be persecuted. I think we are going down the road towards persecution but it does not happen all of the time to all Christians.

DeYoung argues from Scripture that persecution is not something that happens only to a few Christians. The Bible says that it happens to all Christians. I wholeheartedly agree but we must read the Bible in its context. It was written to Christians in the first century who were persecuted for following Christ. In 21st century America, I don’t know that it applies. The context is totally different. I think we need to count to the cost and be willing to be persecuted but we live in a culture where persecution is not widespread.

He also brings in Acts 5:41 which says that it is a privilege to suffer for the name of Jesus. This is true. However, that does not mean that all American Christians have this privilege. Our Christian brothers and sisters in other parts of the world face persecution and it is our privilege to pray for them and encourage them and work for their release as we are commanded in Hebrews 13:3. To equate what we face in America with what Christians face in places like Eritrea or North Korea is wrong. When they are placed on the same level, we minimize the significance of real persecution. It is like me saying to my wife about the pain she has in her back from a herniated disc, “I experience pain everyday and all the time. In fact, I experience pain when I burned my mouth on my coffee this morning.” To equate the two, minimizes the real pain that my wife faces.

Please, I understand people talk about you behind your back for being a Christian at work. You may even get passed up for a promotion because you don’t work on Sundays or you won’t lie to get ahead. Don’t equate this with someone being hung upside down and having boiling grease poured over his feet. Don’t equate it with Christians in Ethiopia who are put in sea containers in the desert heat and don’t even have a place to go to the bathroom. Don’t equate it with a man who is forced to watch prison guards rape his wife because they are Christians. They are very much different in nature and degree.

Let us not overstate what happens to Christians in America. Let’s pray for Christian brothers and sisters who face persecution. In fact, some in American face persecution also but this is the exception and not the norm. Let’s remember Hebrews 13:3 and “remember” those who are in prison and those who are mistreated for their faith. For more information on how you can learn how to pray or support our persecuted family visit the website of The Voice of the Martyrs.